The Effects of Sanction Intensity on Criminal Conduct - JDAI Helpdesk
The Effects of Sanction Intensity on Criminal Conduct - JDAI Helpdesk
The Effects of Sanction Intensity on Criminal Conduct - JDAI Helpdesk
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scrutiny provoked defiant resp<strong>on</strong>ses (Sherman, 1993) resulting in failure? Or do failure<br />
rates increase for low-risk probati<strong>on</strong>ers under more intensive supervisi<strong>on</strong> because the<br />
increase in the overall probability <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> detecti<strong>on</strong> is compared to a lower baseline?<br />
This paper c<strong>on</strong>siders whether an experiment designed to test the premise that lowrisk<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>fenders can safely receive less intensive supervisi<strong>on</strong> than the ‘standard’ model <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
probati<strong>on</strong> is sensitive to heterogeneity in the type <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> low-risk <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>fender receiving<br />
treatment. As the willingness to use probati<strong>on</strong> for <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>fenders eligible for pris<strong>on</strong> persists,<br />
more resources will be needed to serve their needs and adequately protect the public. If<br />
the low-risk, low-need <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>fenders can be supervised more efficiently, probati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>ficers<br />
will be freed up to focus <strong>on</strong> more serious cases. This sensitivity analysis mounts a<br />
comprehensive ‘attack’ <strong>on</strong> the low-intensity supervisi<strong>on</strong> model to ensure there is no way<br />
in which a policy reducing supervisi<strong>on</strong> for a secti<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the criminal populati<strong>on</strong> could<br />
increase the threat <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> harm to society. More broadly, we investigate the nature <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> lowrisk<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>fenders and their propensity to re<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>fend. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> criminological literature has largely<br />
focused <strong>on</strong> the risk factors and characteristics <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> higher-level <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>fenders, but these serious<br />
cases make up a much smaller proporti<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the criminal populati<strong>on</strong>.<br />
This paper<br />
examines the characteristics <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> low-level <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>fenders and their relati<strong>on</strong>ship with treatment<br />
effects. If the observed heterogeneity in the sample does not impact outcomes <strong>on</strong> lowintensity<br />
supervisi<strong>on</strong>, it seems reas<strong>on</strong>able to c<strong>on</strong>clude that low-intensity supervisi<strong>on</strong> is a<br />
viable policy opti<strong>on</strong> compared to ‘treatment as usual.’<br />
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